PsychSense: Sensible Psychological Solutions

Are you ready to come out of your hibernation or do you have the urge to run back in your home and hide?  Because of the cold winter and what feels like constant bad news about the economy, many of us continue to feel like staying inside and avoiding the whole thing. It’s not so hopeful out there and we are barraged with so many things that can bring us down. Anxiety about money and our economy tops the list. When I say our economy I mean our personal budgets, how to pay rising bills, deal with less income and stretch our dollars. This constant worry about money seems to be there all the time, even when we are thinking about other things. Are you experiencing that feeling in the pit of your stomach (anxiety) whenever the issue of money arises (which is often)?

Ambivalence is said to be a common experience of the human condition. I have always believed this but have never felt it as clearly as I do about Kenya.  Talk about a love –hate relationship!

  So much to love: people who always smile and are extremely welcoming and friendly, children that are so engaging and loving, take care of each other, and are resourceful, strong and independent, gorgeous scenery, animals and natural resources.  These are the thing I remember most that will draw me back to Kenya.

Monday January 19 th is Martin Luther King Day. It has been made special by declaring it a day of service. Good deeds and actions bring a smile to the face, a warm feeling to the heart, and most importantly hope for the future.  Look at the reaction to the pilot who did such a great job with the plane that landed in the river in NY. His actions have  reverberated throughtout the country and uplifted people in a time that is difficult  for many. It does not take a gigantic effort to be a hero to someone. Then that someone may “pay it forward” so the feeling spreads in gigantic circles.

In reflecting on my trip to Kenya I have been thinking of the meaning of  a crisis. As a so called expert, I have written so much about crises during my career, how to prevent them, how to deal with them and what causes them and more.